I came close to dying this morning.
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,525
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From: Bay Area, CA
I came close to dying this morning.
I was on I-80 east going home at about 3:30am last night when a highway patrol got on the freeway next to me and took off looking for speeders. He got up so far ahead that I couldn't see him anymore. Five minutes later I see headlights but thought it was from the westbound highway. It wasn't it. It was some dumbass coming head on, going the wrong way on the 4 lane freeway. The car missed me by a few feet. Lucky for me I was all alone on the road so the guy had room too keep going but behind me there was a bit more traffic. The cop took the next exit and headed back the other way. I didn't know how things turned out until now when I looked it up:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...AGMPQ6VUP7.DTL
(06-03) 11:31 PDT VALLEJO -- One drunken driver traveling the wrong way on Interstate 80 and another moving in the proper direction collided early this morning, leaving both with major injuries, according to the California High Patrol.
Both drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol -- and both were flown by helicopter to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for treatment.
The CHP said an officer driving eastbound on I-80 east of Highway 37 at 3:30 a.m. was surprised to see a black 1999 Volkswagen Passat pass in the fast lane -- going the opposite direction. At that point, the Passat was going only about 30 mph.
A second officer, traveling on the westbound side of the freeway, then began driving parallel to the Passat, which responded by speeding to 70 mph and turning off its headlights, the CHP said.
Moments later, it smashed into a gold 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix that had been traveling in the right direction on the eastbound side of the freeway.
The driver of the Passat was identified as Michael Thompson, 22, of Fairfield. And the Grand Prix's driver was identified as Rodney Francisco, 29, of Vallejo.
Thompson's front-seat passenger, Oswaldo Gonzalez, also 22 and a Fairfield resident, suffered major injuries, while back seat passenger Manny Gutierrez, 23, of Suisun City, had moderate injuries, the CHP said.
There were no passengers in Francisco's Grand Prix.
Both drivers were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol -- and both were flown by helicopter to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek for treatment.
The CHP said an officer driving eastbound on I-80 east of Highway 37 at 3:30 a.m. was surprised to see a black 1999 Volkswagen Passat pass in the fast lane -- going the opposite direction. At that point, the Passat was going only about 30 mph.
A second officer, traveling on the westbound side of the freeway, then began driving parallel to the Passat, which responded by speeding to 70 mph and turning off its headlights, the CHP said.
Moments later, it smashed into a gold 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix that had been traveling in the right direction on the eastbound side of the freeway.
The driver of the Passat was identified as Michael Thompson, 22, of Fairfield. And the Grand Prix's driver was identified as Rodney Francisco, 29, of Vallejo.
Thompson's front-seat passenger, Oswaldo Gonzalez, also 22 and a Fairfield resident, suffered major injuries, while back seat passenger Manny Gutierrez, 23, of Suisun City, had moderate injuries, the CHP said.
There were no passengers in Francisco's Grand Prix.
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,525
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From: Bay Area, CA
Heh...thanks.
I don't know what that cop was talking about because the car passed us doing 70ish. Like I said, lucky for me I was not in the fast lane and the fact that there weren't cars around me.
Once I understood what was happening, he was already past me. I didn't have time to think of what to do. Worse yet, I had cruise control on so my feet weren't near the pedals. Then, after a few seconds it hit me--HE ALMOST TOOK ME AND MY G OUT!
Damn, you can't even be safe on an empty freeway nowadays.
I don't know what that cop was talking about because the car passed us doing 70ish. Like I said, lucky for me I was not in the fast lane and the fact that there weren't cars around me.
Once I understood what was happening, he was already past me. I didn't have time to think of what to do. Worse yet, I had cruise control on so my feet weren't near the pedals. Then, after a few seconds it hit me--HE ALMOST TOOK ME AND MY G OUT!
Damn, you can't even be safe on an empty freeway nowadays.
Wow, that was faith man. Glad you was able to read about it this morning and not be read about.
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Staff ALUMNI
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 12,315
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From: California
Originally Posted by nate4598
there isn't any "safe" road anymore
I'm glad you're okay RF!
Just today on my way home from the gym, some idiot in an F250 was tailgating a motorcyclist!
Peace and be safe!
Thank goodness it turned out for the better for you, Rudy. Geez, that is the second time you had a close call in as many weeks.
We were in Walnut Creek, yesterday. We headed back late in the evening . . . I slowed down after exiting the tunnel where you and I saw that idiot a couple of weeks ago.
Hehehe . . . Did you happen to stain yourself.
Hey, gotta be able to laugh about it, now.
We were in Walnut Creek, yesterday. We headed back late in the evening . . . I slowed down after exiting the tunnel where you and I saw that idiot a couple of weeks ago.
Hehehe . . . Did you happen to stain yourself.
Hey, gotta be able to laugh about it, now.
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,525
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From: Bay Area, CA
Haha...happened too fast to stain anything, Andy. 
Accidents happen everyday to many people. I don't want to make too much of a big deal over this. I was just lucky.
Lucky enough that we should all get in on a group lotto ticket buy. I'll pick the numbers. I'll use 3:30am, I-80, 70 mph, and 2nd lane (the one I was in) for the numbers.
3, 7, 8, 30, 33, and 2 for the mega number. We all split the winnings!
Accidents happen everyday to many people. I don't want to make too much of a big deal over this. I was just lucky.
Lucky enough that we should all get in on a group lotto ticket buy. I'll pick the numbers. I'll use 3:30am, I-80, 70 mph, and 2nd lane (the one I was in) for the numbers.
3, 7, 8, 30, 33, and 2 for the mega number. We all split the winnings!
Registered User
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 17,096
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From: East Bay, Cali
Sedan
Glad you're OK RF, that was close! That happened to me some years back before I had my G. I was driving on 880 in Hayward/UC are when a car the CHP was pursuing spun out. He ended up facing the wrong way next to the center divider but he continued on opposite traffic. I was in the fast lane and nearly creamed him. He was only doing about 20 MPH because he had just come out of the spin. I had slowed down because I saw a dust cloud. Whew!
